How to Copy Files Over to your Android In a Bootloop with No OS using ADB!

For those of you who are installing custom ROMs on your rooted Android smartphones or tablets, there may be a time where you may end up with no OS (Operating System/ROM) booting or a bootloop.

Now, these cases are very easy to solve if you have ROM backups or have custom ROM files on your device. If you don’t, usually you can use a microSD card to solve the issue and copy over the ROM files you need to get your Android device up and running.

Wait, but what if you have an Android device without external microSD card slot such as a Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, Nexus 10, or even Kindle Fire 8.9???

Well, so long as you have CWM or TWRP recovery installed on your device, you can use ADB commands to copy files over. If you don’t have CWM or TWRP recovery installed, you can use fastboot commands to install that also.

Presuming you have CWM or TWRP recovery installed (since you probably got stuck while installing a new ROM), here’s how to copy files over to your Android in a bootloop with no OS installed using ADB! This can also be handy when you don’t have a microSD around even if you have a microSD slot.

*Note – With TWRP recovery, you can use an OTG Flash drive if you have one!

Step 4. Copy the files you want to copy over to your Android device into the fastboot folder. In this example, I am copying over CM11 ROM for Kindle Fire 8.9, which is the device which got stuck on bootloop and the user who sent me device didn’t know how to copy files over as his Kindle Fire was in a bootloop state.

Step 5. Open a command prompt or terminal and type:

For Windows:

cd Downloadscd fastbootadb devices

For Mac:cd Downloadscd fastbootchmod 755 *./adb-mac devices

For Linux:cd Downloadscd fastbootchmod 755 *sudo ./adb-linux devices

You should see your Android device serial number along with “recovery”. If you see that, you are good to go.

Now, sometimes I noticed that the files don’t show up right away on TWRP or CWM recovery. You may want to try copying it again one more time OR you can also try rebooting recovery and you should be able to see the files.

I have a verizon note 3 and done this myself. It’s fairly easy. Xda developers has a firmware library for your device. Type it in Google to get you there and when you find it download it. You also need odin 3.09. After you find the firmware version that matches your phone (should be around 1.5 gigs) you want to plug your phone into the computer but first get your phone on download mode. Hold volume down home and power and when the screen comes up plug your phone in the computer. In odin click the PA tab and find the firmware you have down loaded on your computer and open it to odin IN THE PA SLOT. Do not make any other changes in odin. Press start and let odin do its magic!!!

Correction in odin. PDA tab in odin. Load your .tar file or .md5 file in the PDA slot. Also make sure odin recognizes your phone by saying added along with a box on top highlighted in the windows. Something like 0:com.8 or something g

hey hello
my problem is a little different. I have installed twrp and tried flashing a cyanogen Mod ROM but something went wrong and now i am unable boot into recovery nor into os and my tab stucks on android logo after turning on. I googled alot but no one answered this question. Thanks in advance
******My device*****

I was using Utube Android FROZE Restarted it Got stuck at first screen Android FROZE many times B4 and Restarted but not this time. This is NOT EASY to Follow I can ONLY Get Into Download Mode and HAVE NOT Got Any CWM or TWRP or Recovery Installed On Android I Hope I Can Get it Booting Up Again. Will I LOSE ALL MY DATA with This Recovery Method. Is it Only to Restore OS and WIPE ALL DATA OR will it SAVE MY DATA. I Should ASK DATA FROM THE ENTERPRISE MAYBE. CAN YOU FIX IF I POST YOU MY PHONE OMBRAY.

i did evrything right, but the files i tried to copy just dont appear. My device is samsung galaxy tab 3, i think its 4.4.2 or probably 4.1.2 still, idk cause its been boot looped for quite a while, i didnt have a pc before. You think you can think of something?

Was wondering if you could help me a little? When I enter adb push cm-9 an tab to get the file there it will give me a long list of code. but Ive noticed also instead where you say “You should see your Android device serial number along with “recovery”. If you see that, you are good to go. instead of recovery mine says sideboot. Please help..Also Im trying this on a rca pro 10 model rct6103w46….and can u recommend a good os or something compatible if thats my issue… im tryin to push this os cm-9.0.0-tf201

Thank you so much for this, however I am still having a problem. I have a bootloop error using the note 4 SM-910P. I rooted the device, and installed TWRP but have no OS. I was able to successfully push the stock OS (BOB7) and it says successfully installed – but then it continues to boot loop! Please help!

Hey max it worked for me 🙂 I just had to launch the command window from the fastboot folder holding shift key then right click > open command window here and I was able to just put the command to transfer the file…

Hi, I’m Mario and I have a problem with my smartphone… My Meizu MX4 stocks in bootloop, my clockworkmod recovery is in chinese and the fastbootmod on my MX4 does nothing.. I also can’t connect my Meizu to pc because my device isn’t shown on the pc… do you know any solution for my problem??? Please help

hey man … recently i have deleted my os accidentally and i cant seem to boot my phone… my question is , if i flash a custom rom will it replace a new operating system… im using a asus zenfone 2 selfie by the way

sir can u help me please, i have huawei honor 6 h60-l04, now i cant boot in recovery mode, and also i cant boot it in installation mode with poser + vollume down + vollume pluse, my android os is currupted, i already toomuch try install android os with fastboot mode, but m fail,

You just saved my butt! Thanks for such a thorough walk-through. No other site I found explained this quite like you did. Even though I have an sd card, twrp wouldn’t install my ROM from it, so I had to push to the internal sd and viola! I am now loading the os back onto my phone!!

**Edit**

Well, still didn’t work. Installation said it was ok, but phone still won’t go past bootloader menu.

I get stuck on the first part of step 5. I have adb, twrp, and fastboot. I am trying to get cm13 on to my one plus x, and I am using a macbook pro. After using terminal to type in the commands, I get a string of numbers and letters (maybe the serial number?) and then the word unauthorized. If any helpers need more details please ask. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Hey sir !
i have a Accent speed Y2 i watch a video of editing build.prop and i did it this editing to my rooted phone and now he is bootloop and i can’t fing any firmware or usb drivers for him please help me !
Thank You.

-I have rooted my htc mini2 and after a while decided to restore the original ROM but everytime i turn on the phone i have that red warning message.
One day i decided to delete de TWRP backup files bacause it takes a lot of space on my internal memory .
Yesterday my baterry died so when i was turning my phone it gets stuck on that message screen . So i can’t get through because on my internal memory i don’t have the TWRP files to backup or get into recovery mode.
Is there any solution? i was thinking about putting those files on my sd card and see if the phone will read them?

plz awnswer (alcatel pop 4)
i installed a root custom animation app and installed a long boot animation but it freezes half way thru and crashes and my alcatel pop 4 reboots i factory rest and now my computer doesnt recognize it please help

hi my phone’s os is not working and i m not able to enter in the recovery mode and while using adb it shows me unauthorized after my list of device
{s51c1lv1i0149875 unauthorized } what shoud i do now..

Max, thanks for the video/ instructions, they saved my old Samsung Tab 10.1 from the junk heap. Now I can donate it somewhere, because even after using your video/instructions and updating the Android OS to 7.1, the old Tab can’t support my newer apps. But, I’ve got newer Tab I am working on, so thanks a lot for your the video/ instructions.

That was just the video I needed to see. I just applied the 9.0.4 ota update to my rooted OnePlus 6 and got stuck in a bootloop when I was attempting to get back to root access. Even though I still consider myself a noob, your explanation of this entire process was on point to where alot of this stuff just made sense. I use my phone for work and was about to just loose everything before I watched this video on YouTube. Thanks again Max for the tutorials they are awesome!

hi, i tried the steps but i get a serial number and in front it say sideload, i tried adb push filename /sdcard/. no luck
lineage-16.0-20190110-UNOFFICIAL-gtaxlwifi (file that i downloaded for samsung galaxt tab A 10.1)

Hey I really need your help, My Sony Xperia XZ1 went crazy after restarting it normally yesterday it’s been in a bootloop since. The battery is full, can’t get into recovery or safe modes.
It brings up the Sony logo, powered by android, and then at the Xperia logo screen it freezes & the LED notification light blinks green, blue and green again and restarts again & so on. What does that mean?
Is there a way I can get into the internal memory to recovery my contacts and whatsapp chats, because stupid me, everything is saved on the internal storage